Three's A Crowd
by plunk
Summary: Things are just heating up in Edward's relationship with much younger Bella. That is until his ex-wife breaks her femur and has no one to care for her. Now Edward has to deal with two increasingly territorial women. AH/drabble
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

After twenty years of marriage to a buxom blonde, I was acquiring a whole new appreciation for slender, spry, twenty-year-old brunettes.

Sunday mornings are so sweet when there's a plump pair of lips traveling from my neck to my hips.

Dude, don't look at me like that. So what, I'm forty? My girlfriend is fucking hot.

Bella Swan is unlike anyone I've ever met. The sheets crinkled, and she giggled against my thigh when her cell phone rang. I groaned immediately, knowing the ringtone. Anthrax's "I Am The Law" always tells me the Chief is calling his daughter. Probably to make sure she isn't in my bed.

And, yeah, she totally loves 80s music.

She looked exquisite when she threw back the sheet. Her body is one thing, but her smile is purely radiant. And there's something about the look in her eyes that sent the blood back to my groin despite the thrash metal still playing in the background.

She crawled, completely naked, over my body to her phone, which is perched precariously on the edge of the nightstand. I can't resist laughing when the vibrating phone takes a nosedive onto the ground. Bella sent me a dirty look as she reached down to grab it from the carpet, giving me a spectacular view of her ass.

"Daddy?" she said sweetly into the phone, flipping me off. She settled back onto the bed, resting her head on my plumb colored pillow. Her hand stroked my thigh absently.

"Nothing daddy, just doing a few chores around Edward's house," she said slyly.

"No, no. He keeps things very neat," she said, toying with the trimmed thatch of hair above my penis. Dirty, dirty girl. "I won't. I _know._ Alright, daddy, if that's…"

Just then my phone started vibrating from the nightstand. Excusing myself with a jerk of my head, I snatched the phone up and made my way naked from the bedroom into the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hello?"

"Edward?" asked a familiar, yet panicked voice.

"Lauren?"

My body jerked around back toward the bedroom to find some clothes, but I stopped myself. Isabella was still chatting to her father in my bed. Even though my ex-wife of two years knew I was dating someone else, I didn't want her to hear my girlfriend calling her father "daddy." Somehow it made me feel like a jackass.

"What's up?" I asked, standing in my hallway awkwardly. Naked.

"I didn't know who else to call." She sniffed.

"Have you been crying?"

"I'm at the ER," she said, just as Isabella padded naked out of my room, cell phone in hand.

"Babe, I'm starving—"

The high level of awkwardness struck me as I waited for Lauren to say something on the other line. She was silent for a second, not even sniffling like she had before. Then:

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company," she said quietly.

"Uh, yeah," I said apologetically, mouthing "Lauren" to Isabella, who stood in front of me rigidly. "That's my girlfriend Isabella."

She sighs on her end. Not only had she wanted to salvage our marriage after 10 years of mutual neglect, but she called our 19 year old daughter, Rosalie, in tears when she found out I started dating again. Suffice it to say Rose has been furious with me ever since. It doesn't matter that I did the right thing by waiting until the divorce was in progress before starting my life over.

All that matters to Rose is the fact that I made her mother cry. And apparently waiting until she went off to college to talk divorce was a betrayal of "epic" proportions. Don't ask. I don't fucking understand it myself.

"I was calling because I need help."

"What's going on?" I asked, although to be perfectly honest, I didn't want to know.

"The doctor won't release me unless I have someone come pick me up," she said.

Isabella looked inquiringly at me as I sat abruptly on my new leather couch. "Why? What happened?"

Lauren finally broke down into little choking sobs. "I broke my leg, Edward. I can't drive, and…"

"Are you at Harborview? I'll be there in thirty minutes."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Okay, don't get mad," I said cautiously as I hung up the phone.

Isabella, still naked, padded over to the couch and sank down next to me. "Okay, I'm not mad. What's up?"

"Lauren broke her leg."

"So we have to go pick her up?" Isabella looked understandably wary, but also worried. "I mean, I understand if I have to go home for a while."

"She doesn't have anyone else."

She wouldn't meet my eyes. Her mouth, which had just minutes ago been pouting for my kisses, was turned up in a false smile.

"Hey," I said, putting my arms around her. "I'm not throwing you out because I suddenly have to take care of my ex-wife. I'm sorry our week is ruined."

She leaned in and gave me a sweet, yet brief, kiss on the lips. "It's not ruined. I'll stick around and make something for dinner. Maybe Lauren and I can get to know each other."

"Maybe," I said, unconvinced.

"And Rosalie would feel better knowing you and Lauren aren't on the outs anymore," she pointed out.

"How do you figure that?"

"I took Psych last semester," she said, eyes twinkling. "Gave me major insight."

Making my way back into the bedroom to pull on some boxers and a tee shirt, I laughed. "An intro psychology class gave you insight into how to solve the problems in your old boyfriend's fucked up family?"

"No."

Her voice startled me because I hadn't heard her follow me into the bedroom.

"I know how Rosalie feels because my mom and dad got divorced," Isabella said.

"When you were in high school." It's a statement, because we talked about this when we first started dating. The second night we spent together was intermittently physical; we spent hours trading off between talking and touching. I told her my stories and she whispered hers.

"_Mom was the one who suggested it, but then didn't want to follow through," Isabella said that night. "I think my dad finally realized how much they didn't have in common anymore. He started dating casually a year later, and I was so mad. I just couldn't understand how he could be happy when mom was still so miserable."_

I stepped into my jeans, and zipped them up. "Would you have felt better if your mom liked the woman your father started dating?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Well I wouldn't go that far," said Isabella. "But I would have felt a lot better knowing my mom and dad could still talk to each other. And if my mom had needed help I would've wanted my dad to step in."

"Of course, I'm going to take care of her." I didn't add that Lauren had no siblings, no parents, and few friends. When we were married, I always wanted to try new things and meet new people. On the other hand, Lauren stuck pretty much to the same group of moms she had befriended when Rosalie was a toddler.

"When we got married I promised I would always do things like this," I said. "Just because we're divorced doesn't mean I don't care what happens to her."

My eyes stayed glued to my sneakers, which I took my time lacing up. I looked up when I felt Isabella's hands cupping my face. She

"Edward, I'm not trying to talk you out of it. I'm with you in this. I know the man you are wouldn't leave anyone, let alone someone you used to be married to, in the cold like that. Trust me," she pleaded.

"I do trust you. I just…"

Her eyes shone with compassion. "You haven't seen her much since the divorce, and how all of a sudden she's living here."

"Living here." Up unto that point I hadn't thought about Lauren's injury in that context. She was going to have to stay at my house. With me. And Isabella already made plans to stay with me while her dorm was renovated over Christmas.

"My dad will still come get me," she offered. "It's only a few hours out of his way."

"No, I _want_ you to stay with me," I said firmly. "I'm just having trouble wrapping my head around this."

Isabella pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Go pick her up. I'll make something to eat."

Did I mention my girl cooks? Like Paula Deen reincarnated.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You were in a motorcycle accident?"

Struggling to calm my temper, I watch in shock as the nurse help Lauren into a wheelchair. Lauren's leg was entirely encompassed by a blue cast. Lauren looks a little high from the pain meds, and sports bruising to her cheek, and road rash on her right arm.

"Since when do you ride a motorcycle? You hate motorcycles!"

Lauren burst into slightly hysterical laughter. The nurse, who was positioning Lauren's leg on the wheelchair, gave me a dirty look.

"I _love _motorcycles, Ed! I have to admit today wasn't so fun, but I feel like _Easy Rider_ when I ride."

Okay, I did not marry or divorce this woman. She looks pretty much the same; her sleek blonde hair, gentle curves, and bright blue eyes are familiar to me. The loopy look in those eyes and the various injuries are not.

"Do you even have a motorcycle license?"

"Uh, duh," she said snottily, which I could admit I deserved. I was questioning her like a father… or a husband.

"Alright, let's get into the car and go home."

Lauren dozed off in the front seat before he even left the parking lot. The nurse's parting gift was a packet of instructions for keeping Lauren on the right track.

I dialed Rosalie's cell.

"What?"

I scoffed. "Nice way to answer the phone, princess," I replied. "I'm calling to let you know I've just picked up your mother from the emergency room."

"What! What happened?" There's the little girl I once knew.

I glanced at my snoozing ex-wife with not a little exasperation. "She was in a motorcycle accident. Her leg is broken. You know anything about that?"

Silence on the other end told me everything I needed to know.

"Are you kidding me, Rose? Your mom goes off on some crazy mid-life crisis and no one bothers to tell me?

"You guys aren't even married anymore," Rose accused. "How was I to know you'd even care? And, really? You're going to talk about mom's midlife crisis? Aren't you dating someone a year older than your daughter?"

"At least my choices haven't landed me in the emergency room!" I couldn't believe I was having this argument with my daughter. Talk about humiliating. Rose always knew how to talk me in circles.

"So what are you going to do? Leave mom alone in a two-story house?"

I stopped the car in front of a red light, and ran my hand over my face. "Rose, honey, you know I wouldn't do that. Just because mom and I… I care about your mom. I'm bringing her back to my place for a while."

"And what does_ Isabella_ think about that?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Isabella is… I don't know, kiddo. Things have got kinda crazy all of a sudden." At that point I'm truly tired of having this rift between my daughter and me. Before the divorce she was daddy's girl. Then all of a sudden every sentence she says to me is colored with anger.

"Well at least she has somewhere to go for Christmas! I'm the one who has to stay at my dorm like an orphan on the holidays."

I took a deep, calming breath. "Sweetie, you told us you were going home with a friend. When did you decide to change your plans?"

Lauren broke into the conversation with a loud snore. Well, she definitely hadn't changed in that area. Her snoring was legendary in our house.

Sniffling, Rosalie said, "Plans changed a few days ago. I told mom I was going to come home after all."

I knew that in that moment, I had a chance to be a good dad. Of course I wanted my baby home for Christmas. The last two and a half years notwithstanding, Rosalie and I had always been very close. She used to be Daddy's Girl, always by my side no matter what. We read _Charlotte's Web_ snuggled out on the front porch when she was little. She and I built a house in the old oak tree in the back yard. When she had her first kiss she didn't run to Lauren to gush about it. Instead, she told me.

I wanted Rose home for the holidays. I felt an obligation to take care of Lauren, the woman who took care of me for so many years. There was no sense of obligation where Rosalie was concerned; I was crushed when Lauren told me three weeks ago that Rose wasn't coming home.

But what was I going to tell Isabella?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

What had started as a quiet, sexy, and casual meal between two lovers had rapidly turned into a traditional family dinner. With my estranged wife and bratty daughter.

A year before Rosalie went off to USC, Lauren and I hit the play button on our divorce proceedings. After a year and a half of my begging, she finally relented under the condition that we didn't tell Rose until after her first semester studying Engineering. I'd agreed to that at the time, but Lauren broke her own agreement by telling Rosalie a few months ago.

"Alright, I've pulled up to the house. I'm going to take your mom and get her situated. Text me your flight information, okay?"

"Sure," Rose mumbled. "So _she's_ still staying with you all break?"

"That was the plan," I admitted. "Now, I don't know. She may decide to hitchhike out of here as soon as she gets a taste of you and your mom."

"She has no business staying with you anyway. What would you say if I hooked up with a guy your age? Who had barely signed divorce papers?"

I sighed, unbuckling my seatbelt and eyeing Lauren, who was still knocked out. "You're an adult. If you brought home _anyone _at your age I would be nervous, but I can't tell you what to do. Now that goes both ways."

I opened the car door and stepped out, shutting it carefully to avoid waking Lauren. "I care for Isabella a lot. We… I think she and I could have a future together. I understand your resentment, but that's just the way life happened."

Rose didn't say anything. I could hear her sniffling on the line.

Isabella and I met during the divorce proceedings, shortly before we signed the papers. Although she's working on a degree in Marketing, she was working for The Daily, the campus newspaper. She interviewed me for a story about various alumnae and their contribution to UW. As a former member of a community service frat on campus, she asked me a few questions about the university in my day.

I'd be lying if I didn't immediately appreciate her looks or her charm. But as we sat down in the coffee shop across the street from campus, she blew me away with her intelligence and wit. I knew at the end of our two hour (which had originally been scheduled to last 25 minutes) meeting that I couldn't let her get away without asking her on a date.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: No offense meant to women bikers. I've known some very cool, yet well-mannered ones in my life.**

Chapter 8

"Fuck off!"

Okay, so I guess Lauren didn't want to get out of the SUV. When we were married I would have hauled her sleeping out of the car. But with her awkward cast, it was impossible to maneuver her out of the car without her lucidity and cooperation.

So much for lucidity.

I tapped her gently on the arm. "Wake up, Lauren."

Blinking blearily, she allowed me to lift her by the armpits and settle her, with some difficulty I admit, into her wheelchair.

"Now comes the moment of truth," she murmured. "I get to meet the bitch."

I closed the passenger door then dropped to my knees at the side of her chair. Gesturing to the house, I said, "I want to take care of you. But please behave yourself. I think you can find a little civility even if you are a biker chick now."

She threw me a dirty look. "This is humiliating! I'm forced to stay with my ex-husband whose idea of a girlfriend is someone quite literally half his age? At least one of us is embarrassed by this."

"You haven't even met Isabella! Can't you at least give her a chance?"

Lauren looked guilty for a brief second. Lauren isn't unreasonable. There were real reasons I married her. She can be lighthearted and fun, but she's always practical and focused. I guess time has a weird way of highlighting differences you never knew existed. Despite that, I did hope that some of the old Lauren would come back.

Miraculously, instead of answering immediately "no," Lauren took a second to think. Her nose crinkled in resignation and she let out a deep breath.

"I owe you that much. I know I haven't acted like it, but I'm really grateful you're doing this Edward."

She looked sheepish. "I guess the freedom went to my head," she said ruefully. "I was stupid, driving too fast. I… I don't know what I'd do without you."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It has to be said: When we entered the house it smelled fucking delicious. Paula Deen motherfuckers.

"Isabella, this is Lauren. Lauren, meet Isabella."

The two women stared each other down for several uncomfortable minutes. Isabella, who I'd known to be mostly sweet and carefree, looked uncharacteristically stern. I wheeled Lauren past the foyer and into the kitchen when it didn't look like either woman wanted to talk. Isabella followed behind us.

Clearing her throat, Isabella said, "It's good to meet you, Lauren. I don't know if you've eaten…"

Lauren cut her off quickly, but not rudely. "I'm fine. Well, not fine, obviously, but I'm okay. I just need to rest. And, likewise."

I took a deep breath in relief. "I'll get you situated in the guest room."

Isabella looked sheepishly at me. "I've already turned down the bed and stocked the bathroom. I just… wanted to help."

Isabella looked uncertain. I certainly couldn't blame her, but I wished for a way to make things easier. I just couldn't see one. Lauren couldn't live in her house alone, and Rose was only staying for Christmas. Who would help Lauren bathe, dress, and otherwise move around? The more I looked at the situation, the more confident I felt that it had to be me. I'm the one who pledged to take care of Lauren for the rest of my life.

I didn't keep all the promises I ever made to her, but I could at least hold up this part of the bargain.

I looked between Lauren, who looked drowsy again, and Isabella who seemed to be looking anywhere but at Lauren. I thought about the joy I found in her giggles, in her cooking, in her body.

I made a choice. I left Lauren's wheelchair and crossed the room to Isabella. Picking up her chin, I looked solemnly into her eyes. "You have helped," I said earnestly. "Thank you."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lauren was asleep again before I'd even pulled the blanket over her. She was snoring softly as I shut the guest room door.

Resting my head against the door, I acknowledged to myself the complete clusterfuck I'd gotten myself into. My ex-wife, my girlfriend, and my daughter were all going to be in the same house, _with me_, in a few days. So far things were civil, but to be fair Lauren wasn't at her best. There was no way of knowing how bad things could actually get.

Lauren had never been particularly catty; she was a simple girl when I met her. We lived in neighboring dorms. One night into our third semester at UW she'd bummed a cigarette from one of my buddies. I'd been frankly awed by her blonde locks and the way her lips moved as she smoked that cigarette. She looked fun and sexy. Everything a college boy wants.

Except that wasn't really Lauren.

After we dated the requisite amount of time and got engaged, I found out there wasn't much adventurous about her. At least I didn't bring that out in her. It appeared neither of us knew what she had been capable of the entire time.

I walked into the kitchen to find Isabella at the counter, looking uncertain.

Opening my arms to her, I drew her against my chest. "Thank you, baby."

"You know how I feel about you, right?"

I started at her question. "Okay, if this is your way of breaking us off…"

Chuckling slightly, she cupped my face in her hands. "No, that's not it. I'm just… I'm just thinking that I must really love you to put myself in this crazy ass position. I've been asking myself this morning why I haven't already run as far away from here as possible, and the answer is you. I want to be here with you, even if it means spending Christmas with your injured ex-wife."

Oh. About that…

"You must really care about me to spend Christmas with my ex-wife," I confirmed. "My ex-wife and my daughter."

I wasn't ever a praying man, but the look on her face had me hoping for a Christmas miracle.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Bella took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Rosalie is coming here? When?" She looked a bit like a shell-shocked soldier. Her shoulders were squared, but her eyes were wide.

I explained the phone call I'd made in the car on the way back from the hospital.

Bella nodded along. "I'm going to take a walk," she said. "I'll be back."

"Please don't walk away."

Bella threw her hands into the air. "Do you know how hard it is to keep from getting pissed off at you right now? I know it's not your fault, but fuck—this is not okay by anyone's standards. I don't think I'm a bitch for being upset."

Easing forward and cupping her round cheek, I said, "I don't think you're a bitch at all. I'd be mad if I had to help care for _your _ex. Especially if he was drugged up and loopy."

I could hardly believe that just a few hours ago we were in bed having spectacular sex. We'd planned an entire week of nonstop fucking, with just enough time in between to stay fed and hydrated.

"This is a disaster," she said, echoing my thoughts. "School's been crazy for me and work's been crazy for you. I wanted a week to just be together. No interruptions—"

"Or clothes," I interjected, grinning.

Bella landed a cute smack to my bicep. "Yeah, we'll see how lucky you get this Christmas, Edward. I'm writing Santa a very critical performance evaluation. Boyfriend promises me an orgasm for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And what do I get? His wounded, daredevil ex-wife and his angry daughter. Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells!"

Bella threw her arms in the air, which I took as an opportunity to wrap my arms around her middle and pin her against the dark marble of the kitchen counter. My lips met hers insistently, and I moaned out of relief when I felt her start moving with me.

My lips were still buzzing when I broke the kiss.

"I want to figure this out, but I need your help. Please be here with me."

I could see the wheels turning in her head at my serious tone of voice.

She smiled, albeit a little shakily. "I'm here."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Edward? I… I have to go to the bathroom."

Resisting the urge to groan (I had signed up for this, after all), I got up from my leather sofa, and stood up. Bella had just left for the grocery store and redbox. I was out of popcorn, and we'd seen so much on Netflix that it was starting to get a little old. Bella was a voracious reader and, surprisingly, tv watcher. Most stuff that I hadn't seen or heard of she watched religiously.

I was open to new things, but she wasn't a huge fan of re-watching shows. Her only exception was Supernatural. So I've seen every single episode.

I'm whipped. Not afraid to say it.

Anyway, she'd left to find us a decent movie to watch. In that area we were mostly compatible, except that Bella had a thing for psychological thrillers. Anything weird and complicated had her gripping my arm halfway through. Memento was her favorite film of all time.

"_How is Memento your favorite film?" I asked incredulously. _

"_You don't like Memento!?" _

_My hands found her shoulders across the table of the restaurant where we were having dinner. It was one of our first ever "real" dates._

"_I liked it a lot, I'm just having trouble seeing how it could be your favorite out of all the films ever made. It's great the first time, but what about the subsequent ninety-nine times you've seen it? You already know the twists!"_

_She looked at me thoughtfully for a good half minute. "It's an adventure every time. I guess I pull something else out of it. That's what keeps me going back. Complexity."_

_Truer words were never spoken._

"Edward?"

"I'm coming, Lauren. Give me a second."

I found her at the edge of the bed, looking a little sheepish. "I need to pee."

It was more awkward hoisting her onto the toilet than it had been getting her into the car. I had to balance her leg on the bathtub rim and lift her by her armpits so she could shimmy her pants down. I turned my back while she peed, but she needed leverage to wipe. I hadn't helped someone to the bathroom since Rosalie was three and could consistently wipe her butt satisfactorily. I said as much to Lauren, and she chuckled.

"Don't I know it. How humiliating. I'm so sorry to put you in this position."

I wanted to say something snarky, but decided it was best to stay silent. The toilet flushed, and I helped Lauren back to bed.

"Thanks, Ed."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Wow, Bella, this is great," Lauren offered tentatively, sipping the chicken and dumplings broth. "Where'd you learn to be such a good cook?"

Bella looked down at her bowl. Finally meeting Lauren's uncertain gaze, she replied, "My dad, mostly. He's been a single parent for most of my life. At first he says he couldn't boil noodles, but he learned a lot. A kid can't live on pizza, you know?"

The four of us sat at my four-seat dining set. Lauren's foot had to be propped up on the extra seat, which was something we were going to have to figure out when Rosalie joined us.

"Hmm."

Cocking an eyebrow at Lauren, I rubbed Bella's thigh with my free hand. "Thank you for dinner. It's great."

Bella blushed a little. "Well, I know you aren't technically sick, but chicken and dumplings always made me feel better when I wasn't feeling well. I wanted to break the ice a little bit, too, if I'm being totally honest."

Both women now had their eyes trained on the food in front of them. I took a gulp of my ice water to swallow past the lump in my throat. If Bella and I had been together a little longer, maybe things wouldn't be so weird. But the fact that they were forced to get to know each other under these circumstances was beyond challenging. All three of us had to be hyperaware of everything we said.

Three adults could do that.

But no matter how much I loved my daughter, and no matter how close in age Rosalie was to Bella—I knew in my gut that Rosalie wasn't mature enough to handle this like an adult.

It was going to be harder when she arrived the next day. I loved my baby, but I was really worried about how she was going to deal with this. Could I somehow get my relationship with Bella through this storm?

Who am I kidding? It's going to be a fucking hurricane.

"It's really great," Lauren repeated solemnly. "Great."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Have you ever thought about getting back together?"

It was later the same evening. Bella and I were snuggled under the covers in my king sized bed. The same bed which had been filled from corner to corner with giggles just twelve hours ago. The darkness gave my astonishment some cover.

I wrapped my arm around Bella's middle, relishing in the way her hair tickled my nose. "No, I don't think about that."

"No?" she sounded a little too incredulous for my taste.

"Are you kidding me?" I reached over to turn on my bedside lamp. "What brings this up?"

If looks could kill. "Are _you_ kidding _me?_ You rearranged your entire holiday for this woman. It was different when I thought she was going to be a major bitch, but she's been civil. She's obviously a good person.

"And you have a daughter with her…" Bella's bottom lip trembled, and she pulled the comforter around her body.

I knew I had to nip this in the bud.

"I know this is weird for you. It's weird for me, too. I just… The thing you have to understand about the break up—at least from my side—is that it was fairly amicable. Until Lauren involved Rosalie. I just wasn't happy anymore, but that doesn't mean I hate Lauren. Quite the opposite. But do I want to share the rest of my life with her? Absolutely not."

Bella's shoulders stopped their shaking. Her head tilted up and her eyes met mine.

"I want to share everything I have with you," I said, rather gently. "I'm sorry that right now that means my family baggage. I just don't know what else to do. But that doesn't mean I secretly want to get back with Lauren. I don't, unequivocally."

"I believe you," she said.

Our lips met in a soft kiss that wasn't meant to escalate. It was soft and gentle, just a rubbing of the lips. But I think it felt like a promise. I meant to hold up my end of the deal.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I appreciate the support. :) You wanted to meet Rosalie? Here you go!**

"Daddy!"

It felt so good to have my baby girl in my arms again. It's almost impossible to feel a love more powerful than the love you feel the moment your baby enters the world. Nothing could ever shake those feelings of protectiveness once that little baby opened her eyes and squinted at me. It was like Rosalie had made a tiny imprint of her hand around my heart.

Daddy's girl.

"Hey sweetheart," I said, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and giving her a kiss on the cheek. She was a beautiful girl—with Lauren's long blonde hair and my green eyes. She had the looks of a model and the brains of an engineer.

"I missed you," she mumbled against my shirt.

We picked up her bags and headed out to the car. As she buckled herself in I noticed the circles under her eyes and the uneven set of her mouth.

"How's school going? You staying afloat down there?"

"It's okay."

"That doesn't sound so good. Are your classes tripping you up?" I knew that wasn't the problem. My baby girl had been on top of her class in high school, and entered college with over 20 hours of credit. No way was she struggling her first semester in academics.

"Nope. Intro to Engineering is so easy. I could've done the assignments last year," she said with her face tilted toward the window.

I drove into airport traffic for a few minutes in silence. "Well, there's something bothering you. You're making friends alright? How's your roommate?"

Rosalie huffed. "She's okay. Her name is Alice. Total flake. She's a theatre major," she replied snottily. To Rosalie, anyone who wasn't into science or math was a complete idiot. I'd tried to teach her to be more open-minded, but she had a hard time appreciating other talents.

"I bet she's very personable," I chided. "Maybe she can introduce you to new people. Is she from around California?"

Rosalie shrugged.

"Okay, I'll bite. What's with this foul attitude? Weren't you just excited to see me?"

"Why can't you just mind your own business?" she yelled. "Stop pretending like you care! All you want to do is get back to the house so you can ignore me for your new girlfriend!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**A/N: I just want to thank everyone who took the second to review! It means a lot!**

I don't know why I was so surprised at Rosalie's outburst. I mean, she'd been upset ever since she found out Lauren and I had separated.

"_How could you do this?" she shrieked. I pulled the phone a little way away from my ear; her yelling was hurting my ear._

"_Baby, please calm down. We can't talk about this seriously if you're screaming."_

_I waited patiently for her to calm herself down. My heart broke listening to her choke down her sobs. "Mom said you're leaving her for some girl my age. Why would you break up our family for something like this?"_

"_Sweetheart, I know this is tough for you. I…" I asked Lauren if we could tell Rosalie in person, before she left for school, so she wouldn't feel like we pulled the rug out from underneath her feet. But Lauren didn't want Rosalie going off to school with so much baggage. There aren't any fixed rules for divorce, but I didn't want to start blaming Lauren for shit so soon. _

_I just wanted to move on._

"_Your mom and I are still talking, but we've decided it's best if we don't stay married. I think we would both be a lot happier if we started looking for other things to make us happy."_

"_Like 18 year old girls? Mom says you're a pervert now."_

_Wow, Lauren, way to be a bitch._

Needless to say that conversation didn't go anywhere. Rosalie was furious with her mother and me. Mostly me. A smattering of conversations since then hadn't made me feel more optimistic.

But it was time I took a stand.

"I'm cutting you a lot of slack because I feel guilty for how you found out about the divorce," I said to the back of her head. Focusing my eyes back on the road, I said, "But let me be very clear. Isabella is very important to me. You will treat her with respect."


End file.
